Starting means for incandescent igniters.



PATENTED JULY 16, 1907.

. J. s. LANG.

STARTING MEANS FOR INGANDESGENT IGNITERS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24, 1906,

B n 7w 1 "UNITED STATES? PA ENT OFFICE.

, JAMES S. LANG, OF BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS.

STARTING- HEANS FOR INGANDESGENT IGNITERS.

Specification ofiLetters Batent.

Patented July 16, 1907.

. Application filed April 24,1905. Serial Ila-257,037-' To all whom itmay concerni I Be it known that 1, James S. Lime, of Boston, in the county of Sufiolk and State of Massachusetts, a citizen drawings, forming a part of this specification, in explaining its nature.

The invention relates to an improvement in gas explosion engines and especially to that part of the engine pertaining tothe ignition of the gaseous charge as. it is.

. successively formed and compressed in the combustion chamber.

The invention consists in the use of an igniter or zigniting spi-face inside the combustion chamber of the engine and combined with it'a means or device for extraneously introducing into the combustion chamber a heated blast or flame for raising the igniter or ig niting surface toatemperature suificientlyhigh to induce ignition: p I

The invention can best be seen and understood by reference to the drawings, in which- Figure 1 representsa portion of an explosion engine fitted with the improved means or device. Fig. 2 shows in enlarged detail a vertical section of a portion of said means to which special reference will hereinafter be made, and Fig; 3 shows a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig, 4 shows a section'on line 4-4 of g 3. s 7

Referring to the drawings :--A represents a portion of the cylinder of a gas explosion engine providing the combustion chamber a above the piston a. The gas is fed into the' combustion chamber through the inlet passage a controlled by the valve a and the exploded charge escapes through the outlet passage of controlled by the valve a B is the igniter whifrh is contained within the combustion space of the engine and is located preferably as shown within its outlet port or passage. This igniter may be of any suitable kind or material. I prefer, however, to employ an igniter substantially like that shown in United States Letters Patent No. 727,158, granted to me May 5, 1903. As is described in said patent, the ignitsr is preferably supported in the outlet or exhaust passage so 'as to be movable at will towards Reference will now be made to the means of heating the igniter before starting the engine, or in other words, 5 5

before the initial gaseous charge is compressed in the ,cOmbustiOn chamber. 1 This means in 'its various details of constructioncomprises first a receptacle 0,

adapted to contain some combustible fuel. Extending from this receptacle is a fuel supply pipe-c connecting with a nozzle 0 through. which the fuel supply passage .is extended or continued. .This nozzle is in the nature of a nipple threaded into the wall of the combustion chamber and extending through it. It islocated at a point not far from theigniter or preferably at a point ad acent to the entrance of-the-outlet port or passage so that the combu'stiblefuel flowing'from the nozzle maybe ignited within the combustion space-and, being thus in close proximity to the igniter, may act to heat it to the best advantage.

C is an compressor bulb which I-have adapted" 'for forcing the combustible fuel from the receptacle in which it is contained though the fuel supply pipe and nozzle and also for atomizing or reducing it within the combustion space and directing it into the exhaust or outlet passage, in order that when ignited a blast or flame may be directed upon the igniter. For this purpose the bulb has extending from it an air supply pipe 0? which connects with the fuel-holding receptacle through a by passage o and also with the nozzle 0 through which the air passage is continued. This air supply passage: through the nozzle, as may be noted, is located-on the side-of the nozzle away from the igniter, and the 'end of the nozzle is provided with a turned or projecting lip c by which means the course of the air passage is changed and the air directed to flow in a direction across the mouth of the fuel supply passage through the nozzle and towards the igniter and outlet Tpipe. It is obvious that upon compressing the bulb 0 air will not'only,be forced into and compressed in the fuel holding receptacleito force the fuel out through the fuel supply pipe and nozzle into the flows through and around the igniter and thence out through the exhaust passage.

Both the fuel and air' supply; passages in the nozzle are controlled by a single cock D having an operating handle (I. By this meansboth passages may be simultaneously opened or closed as occasion may demand.

Further attention is also called to the fuel and air supply passages through the nozzle, in thatthe ends of these respective passages are made slightly con- .tracted. Thisis forthe purpose of making the fuel and airemerge from the nozzle in relatively small streams, and has also the advantage of keeping carbon.

or'other' products of combustion from blowing up into the passages and clogging them. its a furthei -fmeans for preventing or counteracting any clogging of this kind it is to be noted that thecock D at the points adjacent to the fuel and air supply passages, when the cock is closed, is provided with small recesses d which provide spaces or chambers auxiliary to the passages themselves, in which air may be stored or compressed by the force of the explosion and afterwards, when the combustion chamber is relieved by the opening of the outlet port, the air so confined in these recesses or chambers will expand or relieve itself and in such expansion blow out any carbbn or other combustion matter which may clog the passages. I preferably make these recesses d on both sides of the cock in order that the auxiliary air chambers may be provided whether the cock is turned in one direction or the other in closing it. i

The operation of the igniter siredto start the engine, the cock D controlling the fuel and air passages is opened; then by compressing the bulb C the fuel will be forced into the combustion chamber under pressure and also vaporized or reduced to a spray, blowing in the direction of the igniter and out through the outlet passage. This combustible spray may then'be ignited at some point along the outlet pipe or passage. After the igniter has been heated to a sufiiciently high temperature, to induce an ignition of the compressed gaseous charge, the cock D is then turned, shutting off the fluid and air supply, and the engine is ready for operation.

The means I have described is very simple; there is nothing to get outpf order; and it can readily be very conveniently operated. Moreover, there is only one igniting means used and this of a kind which after the engine is once started will continue to be kept in operative condition by the heat of the exhaust, as was described in the specification of my said patent.

Having thus fully described my invention, '1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States? 1. In :inengine of the character specified, an igniter contained within the combustion space thereof, and in combination with said igniter, means for generating a forced ilame within said combustion space, adapted to heat said igniter.

An engine of the character specified having an igniter located in the exhaust or outlet passage from its combustion chamber, means for introducing a combustible fuel into sn id combustion chamber, and means for generating a forced blast of air, adapted to reduce or vaporize in connection with the auxiliary heating device is as follows: When it is desaid fuel and direct it in the direction of said igniter and exhaust passage.

' 3. In an engine of the character specified. an igniter located in the,conibustion space of said engine and in combination with said igniter, extraneous means for introducing into said combustion space a heating blast or iiamc for heating the igniter, the same comprising a fuelliolding receptacle, a pipe leading therefrom and having outlet within said combustion space, an air compressor, and means whereby said air compressor may simultaneously force the fuel from said fuel-holding receptacle, and reduce or vaporize the same inside the combustion spacc of the engine.

4. In an engine of the character specified, an igniter located in the combustion space thereof and in combination with saidigniter, extraneous means for introducing into said combustion space a heating blast or flame for heating the igniter, the same comprising a fuel-holding receptacle, a pipe connection between the same and said combustion space of theengine, an air compressor, a pipe connection between the same and said combustion space of the'engine, means whereby the air blast from said air compressor may be directed to reduce or vaporize the fuel entering said combustion space and direct it in the direction of said-igniter, and means for controlling said gas and air supply. v I

5. In an engine of the character specified, 'an igniter located in the combustion space of the engine," and in combination therewith a fuel-holding receptacle, a fuel supply pipe, an air-compressing means, an air supply pipe leading to said air-compressing means andconnecting with said fnel-holding receptacle, a common nozzle for said -pipes connecting with and extending through the wall of the engine into the combustion space thereof, the passages of which fuel and air supply pipes extend through said nozzle, and a cock in said nozzle controlling said passages.

G. In an engine of the character specified, an igniter located in the combustion space of said engine, and com-- bined therewith, a fuelsupply passage through which fuel is adapted to pass into saidcombust'ion chamber for generating therein a flame adapted to hcat said igniter, and means whereby said passage may be self-cleaning.

7. In an engine of the character specified, an igniter located in the combustion space of the engine, and in combination therewith, means forheating said igniter, the same comprising a fuel supply pipe and an air supply pipe, :1 common nozzle for said pipes through which'the passages thereof are extended or continued, said nozzle connecting .with and extending through the wall of the engine into the combustion space thereof, a common controlling cock for said passages in said nozzle, and recesses formed in said cock at points adjacent to said passages forming air chambers auxiliary thereto, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

JAMES S. LANG. Witnesses Jenn 11. R. HAYES, MARTIN V. FOLEY. 

